Artwork
東海道五十三次之内 関 本陣早立|Station Forty-Eight: Seki, Early Departure from the Headquarters Inn, from the Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido
東海道五十三次之内 関 本陣早立|Station Forty-Eight: Seki, Early Departure from the Headquarters Inn, from the Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Utagawa Hiroshige. It dates from 1834 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
This woodblock print is part of a series by Utagawa Hiroshige, created around 1834. It depicts a scene from the Tōkaidō, a historic road connecting Edo and Kyoto.
Subject & Meaning
The print shows travelers preparing for an early departure from an inn at Seki, Station Forty-Eight on the Tōkaidō. It captures a busy riverside scene with people and boats, conveying a sense of movement and daily life.
Technique & Style
Hiroshige used ink and color on paper to create the print, employing bold colors and simple shapes to convey energy and activity. The composition balances the depiction of travelers and the surrounding landscape.
History & Provenance
Utagawa Hiroshige, born Andō Tokutarō in 1797, was a prominent ukiyo-e artist known for his landscapes. This print is from his renowned series, *The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō*.
Artist & collection
Artist
Utagawa Hiroshige (歌川 広重) or Andō Hiroshige (安藤 広重), born Andō Tokutarō (安藤 徳太郎; 1797 – 12 October 1858), was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, considered the last great master of that tradition.
東海道五十三次之内 関 本陣早立|Seki, Honjin Sotatsu
Ryogoku Yanagibashi (Umegawa)|江戸高名会亭尽 柳ばし|The Umegawa at Ryogoku Yanagibashi
江戸高名会亭尽 柳ばし夜景 万八|The Manpachi at Evening in Yanagibashi
江戸高名会亭尽 三囲之景 出羽屋|Mimeguri no Kei (Toyoha-ya)
東海道五十三次之内 藤川 棒鼻の図|Fujikawa, Bo Bana
東海道五十三次 藤澤|Fujisawa
東海道五十三次之内 水口 名物干瓢|Mizukuchi, Meibutsu Kampyo
冨嶽三十六景 東海道吉田|Yoshida on the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō Yoshida), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)
江戸高名会亭尽 牛嶋 武蔵屋|Ushijima (Musashi-ya)